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Thursday, 15 October 2015

TV Thursday – Review: Flash, Season One

If you love Dr Who’s ‘wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff’ then
you’re going to love Flash. Debuting on our screens last autumn, the show
expands and enriches the DC universe already brought about by Arrow. Seen first
as a clutzy but brilliant CSI on Arrow, Grant Gustin reprises his role as Barry
Allan, the show depicting the character’s change from human to hero after a
freak accident.

That being said, Flash doesn’t share all that many
similarities with its parent show. Where as Arrow utilises a multi-stranded
plotline of past and present, Flash tends to stick to a single timeline, with
exception of a few flashbacks (No pun intended). That doesn’t mean however that
Flash doesn’t tinker with time and I think if you’re a fan of figuring out the
complete Arrow timeline you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the temporal twists
and turns Flash throws at its audience. Things aren’t always how they at first
seem to be. Minor comic book and series spoilers/hype ahead.

Twenty three episodes of heroic action packed fun await
anyone who has not yet delved into season one, depicting life in Central City
after a particle accelerator explosion alters the DNA structure not only of
Barry but of others as well. Faced with newly developed super-speed and an
array of meta-humans that the police force – including Barry’s foster father –
are no match for, Barry must become The Flash and save the city he loves. That
being said, he isn’t without help.

The incredible Tom Cavanagh plays Dr Harrison Wells, the
scientist who invented the particle accelerator and who feels responsible for
what has now befallen the city. After saving Barry’s life, Dr Wells dedicates
himself to helping Barry control his powers and defend the city. But Dr Wells
isn’t all he seems to be and one of the most interesting aspects of the first
season is figuring out where exactly his loyalties and motives lie.

My personal favourite characters however were Cisco Ramon
and Dr Caitlyn Snow, portrayed by Carlos Valdes and Danielle Panabaker
respectively. Barry may be the heart and Dr Wells the mind, but Cisco and
Caitlyn are the soul of the show. From tough emotional scenes to injecting
moments of light humor, the two not only aid Barry technologically in being The
Flash, they also push him forward and pick him up when he falls.

Other fabulous characters include Joe West, Barry’s adoptive
father who facilitates many highly charged, emotional scenes, and Firestorm, a
meta-human who has explosive ties to the Star Labs team. Almost every character
in the series is intriguing in their own way and brings something exciting to
the episodes they appear in. Flash truly has an amazingly diverse and talented
cast.

Grant Gustin portrays a wonderfully multi-faceted character that
always wants to do the right thing but is sometimes swayed by his own feelings,
beliefs and motives. To me though it is the characters that surround him and
his world that make the show, filling it with diversity, humor and emotion and
making every episode feel truly alive. Tension runs rampant in every episode
because of these characters, each with their own story and all afflicted by
mortality. The Flash may be safe from inescapable peril, being the titular
character, but that doesn’t mean his friends and family are. Excitement and
energy abound with every new character introduced, each one bringing a new and
intriguing element to the show, regardless of whether you’re a die hard comic
book fan or not. There are plenty of heart-wrenching, tear-jerking moments that
make this series a true delight to watch. There is not a boring scene nor a
moment wasted to be found; it is truly electrifying (Pun intended).

I personally think this is a series that can be enjoyed by
anyone, regardless of whether you hoard comic books like there’s no tomorrow or
have never picked one up before. If you are a hard core fan however there will
be many elements and characters that will gain extra interest, and knowing some
of the comic origins and plots makes me even more excited for the recently
launched season two. Spoilers ahead.

It’s already been revealed that multi-universes are going to
play a huge part in this season, and that the original Flash – Jay Garrick – is
going to be assisting the Star Labs team with some new villains released by the
singularity in last season’s finale. Personally I’m more interested with how
this is going to affect and help develop Cisco. In the later half of last
season it was revealed that Cisco is also a meta-human, with the ability to detect
the vibrations between multiple timelines and universes. Simply put he could,
with the right training, receive visions stretching between his own Central
City and the earth Jay originates from, perhaps even further. Given Cisco’s
reaction when he received the news, I’m interested to see how this knowledge
plays out with the character and whether or not he embraces his new heroic
destiny. Given everything seen in season one, I doubt it will be simple.

If you look closely enough, a flash of Killer Frost was also
seen in last season’s finale when Barry was traveling through the speed-force.
For those who don’t know, Killer Frost is the villainous alter-ego of Dr
Caitlyn Snow. While Caitlyn has shown no signs of being meta-human and there
have been no other hints to the fact – unlike with Cisco – I am very excited to
see what may happen that could potentially activate any dormant powers in
Caitlyn and turn her into the villain. It may not happen, but it is doubtful
that the creators would put such an easter egg into the footage without it
having any further meaning.

Those are just two of the many reasons why I will most
avidly be tuning into Flash season two, airing at 8pm every Tuesday on Sky 1 in
the UK. The first episode has just aired on October 13th.

Do you have any thoughts about Flash? Feel free to share
them in the comments below, or on Twitter!

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About Me

I am a 25 year old book nerd from the North West of England. I'm a big fan of YA and fantasy, but I'll read just about anything. Aside from reading I'm an avid film/TV fan and gamer, with a constantly creative mind. This blog is my home for everything arty.